da lvbet： While foreign peacekeeping forces roam Afghanistan and new governmentinstitutions are being installed, sport, and especially cricket, is taking aback-seat
da heads bet： Wisden Comment by Suhael Ahmed11-Jun-2003While foreign peacekeeping forces roam Afghanistan and new governmentinstitutions are being installed, sport, and especially cricket, is taking aback-seat.Colonel Tim Betin of the ISAF inaugurating Olympia Lube Oil Cricket Tournament
Photo © ACF Not so for the fledgling Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF) who are busyfighting a lonely battle to develop cricket in their war-torn country. Theybelieve cricket can play an important role in helping rebuild their nation’ssocial fabric and want to bring people together in friendly competition.They say cricket provides a healthy outlet for youthful energy as itencourages team spirit and turns attention away from guns and fightingtowards the field of play.It’s a long tough road ahead but their spirits are high and some good workhas already been done. But without aid in the form of donations, know-howand sponsorships they face an almost impossible task.A start has been made, however, as a little help came their way when inApril the cricket-friendly British Embassy staff arranged for a donation ofsome cricket equipment and, earlier, members of the International SecurityAssistance Force (ISAF) took time out to play cricket with the ACF team.Only the love of cricket could bring people together from cultures acontinent apart to play together in the unlikeliest of locations, Kabul andits environs.The ACF is trying to re-establish a cricket structure in a country that hasfar more immediate problems but they still managed to tour neighbouringPakistan during the 2002-03 season to play for the Cornelius Trophy, aGrade-II domestic tournament there and they plan to send a youth team forJuly’s Youth Asia Cup 2003.Although the Afghanis failed to make much of an impression on other poolmembers in the Pakistan tournament – not qualifying for the next round -they did gain invaluable competitive experience.A bright moment came their way when playing out a draw against Rajanpurwhen allrounder Mohammad Nabi scored an unbeaten 103. Was this the firstinternational century by an Afghani? We will have to wait till cricketstatisticians come up with an answer after Afghanistan plays some morecricket.Against Rahimyar Khan they went down by 189 runs while Okara blasted them byan innings and 113 runs. In their last pool match, Gujrat showed no mercywith a 10-wicket win and ensured the visitors finished with no points fromtheir four games.Some solace nevertheless was Nabi’s performance who topped their averages inbatting (226 runs at an average of 37.66) and in bowling (six wickets at anaverage of 24.83 with a best of 4-66).During 2001-02, the Afghanistan team had also competed in Pakistan¹sdomestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade-II but remained empty-handed. The starthen was skipper and president of the ACF, Allah Dad Noori who hauled in 18wickets in five games with a best of 9-89 in one match.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been providing the Afghan team withsome financial support apart from allowing them to play in local tournamentsand during the 2002-03 tour helped with a qualified coach, former allrounderNaeem Ahmed.After the tour Naeem said, “The Afghan players had all the needed talent anddesire but lacked professional coaching and exposure to competitive cricketwhich can only come if a cricket infrastructure is developed back home andthey play more cricket.”Speaking to Wisden CricInfo, Abdul Khalil, general manager of the ACFexplained: “Cricket was one of the few organised sports allowed under theprevious [Taliban] government, so it was, and is, a very important game forus and for the development of youth in Afghanistan.””The ACF was founded in 1995 and before the war [post-September 11] we had29 registered clubs and over 900 regular players nationally. We also hadbegun a schoolyard league that helped introduce cricket to ourschoolchildren.”He went on to express happiness that no known players were lost during thefighting in his country.”However, our main ground became an army command centre used by varioustroops, and most of our equipment, facilities and the league infrastructurewere destroyed.””We are trying to rebuild sponsorship and funds are urgently needed forcricket academies. Cricket should be an important social contributor toreconstruction in Afghanistan.””We would like to sincerely thank those who have helped us already and hopethat we can be assisted to rebuild cricket academies in three key provincesKhost, Jalalabad and Kabul, and for an opportunity to show that Afghanistanis also a country of sportsmen.”It was the ‘inventors’ of cricket who came up with some timely support forthe ACF on April 16, 2003 when the British Ambassador to Afghanistanpresented a quantity of cricket equipment to be given to and distributed tothe cricketers of Afghanistan by the ACF.The equipment included bats, balls, protective equipment, whites and twoartificial pitches. All through the efforts of one cricket enthusiast at theembassy, Andrew Banks, who managed to convince various individuals, sportscompanies and several English counties to donate.At a ceremony at his residence Ambassador Ron Nash LVO also presented Afghanplayers with off-field uniforms and an ACF tie.Cricket was first taken up by Afghani refugee youth who had fled to Pakistanafter the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the early 1980’s and carriedon playing till they could return home 10 years later – more than sufficienttime to inculcate cricket culture.Among them was nine-wickets-in-a-match man and ACF President, Allah DadNoori, who learnt cricket as a young man playing in Peshawar who then wenthome to help found the ACF in 1995.These young men convinced the ruling Taliban militia to allow cricket to beplayed and one may recall this strict regime had banned most sports as beingrepugnant after taking over from the Soviets. They brought most ofAfghanistan under their ultra-orthodox interpretation of Islamic Shariahlaw, banning women from outside jobs and education and ordering men to growuntrimmed beards.In 1998, Afghani boxers were banned from participating in an internationalboxing tournament in neighbouring Pakistan because they refused to trimtheir beards. The organisers felt the beards to be an unfair advantage asthey would soften knock-out punches.”We all pray that Afghans adopt not only the technical aspects of the gamebut the charisma that surrounds the cricketing field,” said Pakistan’slegendary batsman Hanif Mohammad after he was told that cricket had beentaken up in Afghanistan.ACF captain receives trophy from ISAF commander while ACF president Allah Dad Noori looks on
Photo © ACF “But it is good news as more children are involved in cricket, the furtherthey will be from the fighting. The atmosphere will change as mothers andfathers come to watch their children play,” he added.In January 2000, the ruling Taliban militia approached the PCB to help ACFjoin the International Cricket Council (ICC).”They have written to us and want us to help recommend them for associatemembership of the ICC,” said Yawar Saeed, who was a member of PCB’sadvisory council.After a visit to review local cricket and facilities by Nasim-ul-Ghani,ICC’s regional development manager for Asia, the ACF received recognition asan Affiliate Member in 2001.After this struggle, and with stability now returning to Afghanistan, theACF has made an appeal to cricket-playing countries, their boards, sportsequipment manufacturers and sponsors to help donate to develop cricketfurther.They need to setup coaching academies, provide equipment to players, anddevelop grounds.A laudable plan that surely matches the spirit of cricket for soon we mayall enjoy one more team in the arena battling it out with bat and ball.
